“No Tomorrow”–A new poem by Erwin A. Thompson

When Pop, 91, got his credit card bill this month, his thoughts were inspired by those glimmering promises of billionaire futures they offer along with the free checks. He started to think about other futures we are borrowing against in relationships, the economy, and the environment. –JGR

NO TOMORROW
by Erwin A. Thompson

No need to worry that things you do
Might bring someone pain or sorrow.
No need to take the larger view,
Because there’s no tomorrow.

The stores are full of things we’d like to have,
To deck our home or ornament our yard,
No problem, just go down and make a deal.
Put it on the credit card.

Skip this payment! Take a Holiday!
Your credit’s good! (Finance charges will apply.)
Take these checks and buy the things that you deserve!
(But the boogie man will catch you bye and bye.)

The shack-up is an accepted fact.
We see it every day.
But modern girls still cry,
And broken hearts still pay.

The children from these unions
Scattered, now, throughout the land.
Parents, friends and relatives
All lend a helping hand.

Everything is just replaced,
Nothing really built to last;
The coal mine shafts are caving in,
The landscape swallowed up by errors of the past.

They say our oil end gas reserve is good for twenty years.
Sounds like a sorry plight.
But I’m all set to go, today,
I filled my gas tank up last night!

Today’s the day we’re living in;
The future’s just too far away.
Yesterday is gone dis-owned,
As we enjoy the pleasures of today.